Pittsburgh Brewing Company is bringing beer-making operations back to the âburgh along the Allegheny River.
After 12 years of contract brewing in Latrobe, PA, the business announced it will produce all brands in-house by 2022 at the Pittsburgh Plate and Glass (PPG) plant in Creighton, PA. Located in East Deer Township in Allegheny County, PPG closed the facility in 2018 and Pittsburgh Brewing bought it the following year.
Inside the 140,000-square-foot facility, brewmaster Mike Carota â whoâs been on the job since 1975 â and his crew will churn out 150,000 barrels per year right off the bat, with the potential to produce 750,000 barrels.
Over the next few years, the 40-acre site along the Allegheny River will feature a restaurant, outdoor event venue, a beer museum (not affiliated with BREW: The Museum of Beer) and a marina.
âWhile the brewery in Latrobe has been a tremendous facility to make all of our products, it will be very satisfying to be able to control our production again from start to finish,â Carota says.
The company has released more than 100 unique libations in its 160-year history, making it one of the oldest operating breweries in the U.S. Favorites such as Iron City, I.C. Light, I.C. Light Mango, Old German, American and Block House will still be on tap, along with new, small-batch recipes.
Last year, via a collaboration with Sharpsburgâs Dancing Gnome, Pittsburgh Brewing resurrected its Robin Hood Cream Ale.
In addition to repurposing the Creighton property, which was erected by PPG in 1883 to fabricate glass for cars, planes and buildings, Pittsburgh Brewing Co. is renovating its historic, nine-acre complex in Lawrenceville, where the companyâs corporate offices have been housed for 150 years. Plans for that site include adding a taproom concept. In 2018, Cliff Forrest, founder of Kittanning-based Rosebud Mining Company, purchased the property from a New York venture firm.
Iron City Beer, the companyâs flagship offering, recently got a makeover from Millvale-based marketing agency Top Hat. The project was named the #1 Brand Evolution of 2020 by the global design blog, Brand New.
In November, a 226-foot Iron City Beer sign was placed on a Mt. Washington hillside overlooking the city. Managed by Lamar Advertising Co., the billboard is a throwback to the one that occupied the spot from 1938 to 1954. It will remain there for at least a year.
